Fuel Smuggling: Kpedze Police impound 50 ‘Kufour gallons’ of Petrol

The Police in Kpedze with support from the Ho-west District Security Council (DISEC) in the Volta region, last Monday evening impounded over 1,675 litres of petrol suspected to be packaged for smuggling to neighbouring Togo.

The fuel which was concealed in 50 yellow jerrycans popularly called ‘Kufour gallon’ and a drum were found hidden in a building located on the premises of a local Allied Oil filling Station in the area.

According to the Kpedze District Police Commander ASP, Sebastian Folivia, the police last Friday (July 11, 2014), upon a tip off spotted some motorbikes with yellow gallons suspected to contain fuel and after a hot chase, they entered the escaped into Togo.

However investigations that evening, according to ASP Folivia pointed to the Allied Oil filling Station as the source of supply.

It was also revealed that, the filling station received over 20,900 litres of petrol last Friday (July 11, 2014), but as of last Monday evening, a substantial quantity of over 7,200 litres was filled into containers allegedly waiting for smuggling.

A female sales attendant at the filling station, Veronica has since been picked up to assist the police in investigations.

Smuggling of fuel and Cocoa using ‘Okada’ has become rampart in the area because of its proximity to neighbouring Togo but Mr. Samuel Ewoade, Ho-West District Chief executive said the District Security Council has intensified its surveillance in order to combat the menace.

The Volta Regional Minister Helen Ntoso who was in the area on Tuesday to access the situation and inspect the exhibits expressed disgust about the increase in smuggling activities in the region which she said is adversely affecting the economy of the country. She described the perpetrators as nation wreckers and called on all Ghanaians to help bring them to book.

Madam Ntoso announced that, the Regional Security Council will soon form an Anti-Smuggling Task Force to clampdown on the illegal activity in the region.

the filling station

In May this year, the Ketu-South District Security Council also sent an SOS message to the regional Security Council to intervene in the increasing smuggling activities in the area, which has overwhelmed the limited custom officials at the borders.

In recent times there has been an upsurge in the number of new fuel filling stations springing up along the Ho-Aflao highway, which observers believe may only increase the rate of smuggling of petroleum product along the Ghana-Togo border.